


Heart Hunting

by thegizka



Series: Batfam Week 2018 [4]
Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Powers, Batfam Week 2018, F/M, Gen, Treasure Hunting, slight BatCat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-10
Updated: 2018-08-10
Packaged: 2019-06-24 17:40:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,977
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15635556
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thegizka/pseuds/thegizka
Summary: Alternate Universe where Bruce and the Batfam are treasure hunters.  When their rival Selina wants to team up on a hunt, there's more at stake than finding the treasure.





	Heart Hunting

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Batfam Week 2018 Day 4: AU

Bruce glanced around the big room.  Guests in evening attire chatted to each other or looked at the various pieces on display.  The room stank of excess wealth. Everywhere he looked there were carefully crafted smiles and champagne flutes held in lazy hands.  He searched for a sign of dark purple, hoping she wasn’t sticking out too much.

Ah, there she was, leaning on Tim’s arm as they chatted with an older couple, the head of a growing tech company and his wife.  Their conversation was a low murmur on the comms. Stephanie’s exuberant personality had worried him slightly when this job came up.  She wasn’t as used to the level of wealth and sophistication that this party required. But she was handling it like a pro, her genuine smile and simple grace endearing her to the other guests without being obnoxiously out of place.  Tim was staying with her, too, and he was always careful not to complicate matters if it would endanger the operation.

Good.  It was time to initiate the first phase of the plan.

“I’m moving in,” he murmured so the team would know.

“Roger that, Master Bruce.  Miss Gordon will keep an eye on things from the surveillance system.  Assuming Master Tim and Miss Brown are keeping watch on scene, this should go smoothly.”

“Your plans always do, Alfred.”  Bruce plastered an excited grin on his face as he moved purposefully through the crowd, careful not to seem too eager to speak with the woman checking the list of auction items in the corner.

“Selina,” he greeted cheerfully.  She looked surprised for a moment before quickly sliding into a smooth and confident attitude.

“Bruce,” she returned, kissing his cheeks in greeting.  “I wasn’t expecting to see you here. It’s been a while.”

“It has,” he agreed, though their line of work often brought them together.  Selina was a procurer of rare artifacts and contracted with museums and private collectors looking for the unique and unusual.  Of course, sometimes she acquired her quarry through questionable means, but Bruce wasn’t one to argue. After all, he basically did the same thing, though he often kept what he found in his private collection, and he wasn’t ashamed to call himself a treasure hunter.  Periodically he would auction a piece, but his inheritance ensured he never wanted for money. Really, it was the whole reason he did this gig. What else would a billionaire do with his time?

“And what brings you here tonight?” Selina asked, taking a sip of her champagne.  “Are you buying or selling?”

“I haven’t confirmed my plans for the night.”

“Oh, I find that hard to believe.”  Selina began sashaying away from him, glancing over her shoulder to invite him to follow.  Her eyeliner made her eyes look as sharp and cunning as he knew they were. She was beautiful.

They wandered past display cases of auction items, most of them dusty relics of past civilizations that had been carefully excavated from dig sites around the world.  A few of the nicer items had arrived from private collections. Selina and Bruce made small talk as they moved, pretending to be interested, but slowly wandering away from the crowd towards the museum proper.  Bruce cast a final glance at the guests, finding Tim and Stephanie by the cheese board. He made eye contact with the young man, who responded by casually itching his nose. They would monitor the situation from the crowd.   They had his back.

Selina led him past the security guards, giving them a wave.  They just nodded to her and eyed Bruce as he followed. Perks of being contracted to the museum.  He couldn’t help but watch the way her hips swayed seductively as she led him further, the flutter of soft hairs at the base of her neck, the skin of her exposed back contrasting enticingly with her dark dress.  It was too bad they were so often at odds on their hunts.

“Want to play a game?” she asked, setting aside her now empty champagne flute and turning to him.

“Hm?” he asked indulgently, turning on the charm while trying to resist hers.

“I bet I can guess why you’re here.”  She took his own glass from his hand and set it beside hers on a cabinet.  They had wandered into a Renaissance exhibit, shining mechanisms of early science and navigation bouncing around the low light of the hall.  The shadows made Selina’s features both softer and sharper, and he was reminded of how simultaneously dangerous and alluring she was.

“I suspect you’re here for something that’s not on the auction list,” she murmured, fiddling with the lapels of Bruce’s jacket.

“And what do you suppose that might be?” he grinned, leaning towards her and placing his hands on her waist.

“Aw Bruce, I don’t want to watch this,” Barbara’s voice grumbled in his ear.  Stephanie giggled in response, but he did his best to ignore them. He couldn’t let them blow his cover, however much they were killing the mood.

“My guess,” Selina continued, oblivious to the commentary, “is that you’ve caught wind of a new arrival to our collection.”

“One of your selections?  You do have great taste.”

“Oh Bruce,” she laughed, gently pushing away from him to walk to a nearby case.  “You try so hard to impress a lady, it’s cute.” He chuckled, following her.

“This, as I’m sure you’re already aware, is a little something I picked up while exploring caves in the Amazon,” Selina said, indicating the painted vellum carefully displayed in the case.  “A young sailor named Antonio Adrinetti brought it to the New World from Italy in 1440, where he had received it from Cardinal Brunchetta, a close associate of the powerful Medici family. Hidden in the text and images is the secret to the disappearance of David’s Crown.  I assume you’re familiar with it?”

“Of course,” he grinned, leaning next to her with an arm wrapped around her waist.  He heard Barbara groan at the unnecessary PDA. “Supposedly God gave the Crown to David to bless his sovereignty.  Tales say the one wearing the crown can directly commune with God. Many say it makes miracles possible. But when David transgressed with Bathsheba, he feared wearing the crowd again and facing his Creator’s judgment.  So he entrusted it to two of his servants who smuggled it away, and it disappeared from use and memory for centuries.”

“Until, of course, Cardinal Brunchetta found out the Medici family had discovered it and hidden it away,” Selina continued with a sly smile.   “Believing the Vatican had a greater right to it than a conniving Italian aristocracy seeking power, he made plans to smuggle it from its hiding place, pressuring young Adrinetti into helping him.  They created this document to conceal the clues of its new location until Brunchetta could present it to the Pope, fearing doing so too soon would bring the wrath of the Medicis. Unfortunately, the Cardinal died unexpectedly before that could happen.”

“Tragic,” Bruce sighed, “but not altogether unexpected.”

“Luckily,” Selina hummed, turning so they faced each other, “Brunchetta had planned ahead and sent Adrinetti on an expedition to the New World with the secrets of the Crown, keeping them well out of reach of the Medicis.  It was really too bad he got lost in a cave in the Amazon and was never heard from again.”

“Until you found him,” Bruce grinned.  She hummed in agreement. They were studying each other carefully, faces so close, hips lightly brushing against each other.  It was tantalizing, but he wouldn’t let his guard down, not when he wasn’t sure what she was getting at yet.

“The auction’s about to start,” Tim murmured.  Selina would have to get back soon to prevent any suspicion.  He needed to figure out her motive quickly.

“What are you doing?” he asked softly, breath ghosting across her cheek.

“I know you’re going to go after the Crown.  It’s just the sort of unique, legendary item you’d hunt for.”  She crossed her arms, creating a sliver of more distance between them.  “I want in on this.”

Bruce raised an eyebrow.  “What if I’m only here for the auction?”

“I know you, Bruce.  When have you ever come only for the auction?”  She grinned at him, so sure of herself. “I want whatever else you find with it.  You can keep the Crown itself, but the rest of it is mine.”

“How do you know there will be other items?”

“A find as big as the Crown of David is bound to have attracted other treasures.”

“And if it’s just the Crown?”

She shrugged.  “Then I’ll walk away.”

Bruce doubted that, but it was hard to say no when those dark eyes were staring into his.

“She’ll just double cross us,” Barbara hissed.  “We have everything under control without her jumping in and throwing us off.”

“You could ruin your relationship with this museum if they find out you’re connected to the disappearance of their newest item.”

“I trust that you’ll be discreet with your little heist.”  She leaned into him, face coming closer to his.

“Bruce,” Barbara hissed.

“The auction master is looking for Selina.  You’d better get back here soon,” Stephanie warned.

“Me and my team run point,” he murmured.  “And if there’s nothing but the Crown, you have to walk away.”

“That was the deal,” she agreed, lips tantalizingly close to his own.  Barbara grunted in frustration.

“Mr. Matthews!” he heard Tim call, trying to distract the auction master from hunting for Selina.  “I wanted to ask about item 247, the Mayan fertility idol.”

“Well we’d better get back to your auction, then,” Bruce whispered, arms ghosting up her sides.  “You wanted to stay discreet, right?”

She laughed bemusedly, lifting her lips to his ear.  “I’m always discreet.”

“You’re disgusting,”  Barbara growled.

 

\--------

 

By the time the auction finished and they returned to the manor, the rest of the team had been assembled and informed of the new developments.  Most of them did not look happy.

“Did we get enough data?” Bruce asked, dodging their scowls.

“Yes,” Barbara grumbled.  “Thanks to the scanners in your watch and the one you planted under the case.  The infiltration tonight should be a breeze, unless a certain sudden addition to the job decides to screw us over.”

“She won’t,” Bruce promised, waving it off like it was no big deal.

“So you actually agreed to let Selina tag along?” Jason asked, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.

“She’s done a lot of research on the Crown, and she was the one to find the map in the Amazon.  We might need her knowledge.”

“Assuming she’ll play it straight with us,” Tim pointed out.

“Anything she knows, we could figure out ourselves,” Barbara insisted.

“Apologies for trying to make our lives a little easier and using an available resource.”  He was getting annoyed at the general hostility.

“Short cuts aren’t always better in the long run,” Tim sighed.

“But this could turn out well!” Dick offered, not liking how they were ganging up on his adopted father.  “I’d much rather have Selina working with us than against us.”

“Keep your friends close and your enemies closer sort of thing?” Jason mused.

“I wouldn’t necessarily count Selina as an enemy,” Bruce defended.

“From the sound of your conversation, you don’t count her as just a friend, either,” Stephanie teased.

“Another reason why we should be careful,” Damian piped up, eyes narrowed.  “If she makes you compromised in any way, she is a threat to our success.”

“She’s a total wild card,” Tim agreed.

“Look, I trust Selina.  We made a deal, and she’s in on this hunt whether you like it or not, so I suggest you start adjusting to that idea and prep for tonight’s operation.  Damian, Cass, be ready to go by midnight”

No one bothered to argue, grumbling quietly to themselves as they set about various tasks.  Barbara said something about working out, and with a concerned glance at Bruce, Dick followed her.  The older man sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He had expected resistance, sure, but not to this degree.  They were acting like children!

“I am inclined to agree with Master Timothy,” Alfred admitted, watching the others disperse.  “She is a wild card. Just because you trust her doesn’t mean they do. You will have to give them time.  But be sure to keep your guard up. They can try to protect you from her, but they can’t protect you from yourself.”

 

\---------

 

“I’m still not comfortable having Selina along,” Barbara grumbled over the comms.

“At least we know where she is and can keep an eye on her,” Dick replied, glancing ahead to where the woman in question and Bruce were carefully descending further into the cave.

“Speaking of keeping an eye on things, how’s the situation topside, Replacement?” Jason asked, following in Bruce’s footsteps.

“Isn’t that nickname getting a bit old?” Tim sighed.

“Not when it’s true,” Jason snickered.

“Still all clear here,” Cass interjected, actually answering his question.

“No sign of tourists, forestry staff, or unwanted wildlife,” Stephanie agreed.

“Good.  Just remember to keep your eyes peeled,” Alfred instructed.

Just over a month had passed since the auction.  Damian and Cass had successfully infiltrated the museum, disabled the surrounding security, swapped the real manuscript for a facsimile, and safely returned to the manor.  The weeks after were spent deciphering Brunchetta’s clues and verifying the location of the Crown. Selina had actually been helpful in offering relevant ideas and misdirecting the police officers’ suspicions once they realized the original document had been stolen.  Her efforts earned begrudging respect from the team. They remained wary of her, though, which partially explained why all of them were involved in the actual recovery mission.

They had tracked the Crown to the Vallombrosa Forest in Italy, reconstructing clues that led to a cave system deep within the trees.  Where they would normally send two or three hunters to secure the item and have another two act as lookouts, it was all hands on deck today.  Barbara and Alfred had set up an observation base in their rented villa, using satellites and their equipment to monitor their progress. Tim, Steph, and Cass were strategically situated around the cave’s entrance in case unexpected company stumbled into their hunt.  Duke was in charge of keeping their van secure and hidden so they could make a quick getaway if they needed it. That left Dick, Jason, and Damian to back-up Bruce (and Selina) underground.

“Father, is there any sign to the end of this underground river?” Damian called forward from his position in the back of the line.

Bruce paused in shimmying along the cave wall.  They had come across an underground river during their descent.  It wasn’t safe to try swimming through it, but the surrounding cave walls were rough enough to shuffle across like spiders on a kitchen wall.

“I’m not sure,” Bruce responded, shining his flashlight into the dark ahead.  “But it sounds pretty loud ahead. There could be a waterfall or rapids.”

“Sounds like fun,” Selina purred wryly.

“Red, did any of our ground resonant tests indicate anything?” Jason asked.

“Sorry, you guys are too deep to have gotten any consistent readings,” Barbara sighed.  “Be careful.”

“Nothing we deciphered of the trail said anything about waterfalls,” Duke said, concerned.

“Then let’s hope whatever route Brunchetta’s men took hasn’t eroded,” Bruce grumbled.

“Y’know, it’s a bit unsettling hearing only snippets of your conversation,” Selina mused.  “Are you sure I can’t get in on the comms?”

“Afraid not.”  Even clinging to a wall, slightly muddy from the cave dust and spray of the river, she remained confident and alluring.  Bruce had enjoyed working with her on this hunt, seeing more sides to her than the socialite and competitor he was used to seeing.  But she had remained slightly aloof and always out of reach. If she wasn’t going to trust them totally, they couldn’t trust her.

“That leaves me at a severe disadvantage if anything unexpected happens,” she pouted.

“That’s the idea,” Tim hissed under his breath, causing Jason to smirk.

“Don’t worry Selina.  We’ll protect you.”

“Ah, my knights in shining armor,” she called behind her, giving Jason a wink.  “Still, I’m a lady used to taking care of myself. This situation makes me uncomfortable, to say nothing of the fact that I’m down here alone with four men in a potentially compromising situation.”

Barbara snorted derisively.

“She just never lets up, does she?” Stephanie asked.

“Should have brought me,” Cass muttered.

“Cassie, you know it was Damian’s turn,” Dick whined.

“I’m pretty sure that’s not what she’s talking about,” Tim grinned.

“Y’all are insufferable sometimes,” Stephanie sighed.

“Can we cut the unnecessary chit-chat please?” Bruce grumbled.  “We’re here.”

“Sort of,” Damian murmured.  They had come to the source of the crashing water.  It was indeed an underground waterfall, the river disappearing into fathomless black.  Above it, a ledge disappeared into a cavern. The ledge itself was carved with a crude depiction of three keys, the black stain which had once set them in relief partially washed away by water and time.  From the clues on the manuscript, they knew that was the way to go.

The only problem was figuring out how to get there.  There were outcroppings on the cave wall that indicated the ledge had once been broader, extending down to their position, but now there were several large gaps that would be difficult to navigate.

“Jason, the climbing equipment,” Bruce called.  Dick helped his brother extract the ropes, grapples, and harnesses from his back, which were then passed forward.

“What’s the plan?”

“I’m going to climb over, setting up a lead line as I go, which the rest of you can use as support.”  Bruce was already inching ahead, preparing to drive a stake into a crack in the rockface.

“Do you want a back-up?” Dick asked.

“I should be fine.  Just keep your lights trained on the wall so I can see where I’m going.”

It was a testy fifteen minutes as they watched Bruce move.  He had the most experience climbing and spelunking, and they had never seen him fall yet.  But carefully balancing along inconsistent protrusions while pounding stakes into the rock over a raging underground waterfall was one of the tensest situations he had been in.  It was a huge relief when he made it to the ledge and secured the other end of the lead line.

One by one, the others followed.  After Bruce’s efforts, the journey across was relatively simple, so long as they ignored the raging depths below them.  The only heart-stopping moment was when Selina slipped right before reaching the end, but Bruce was able to grab her and pull her to him before she fell.  Seeing his arm wrapped tight around her earned a scathing glare from Damian, but he said nothing.

“Looks a bit tight if you ask me,” Jason observed once they were all safely on the ledge.  The passage leading further in narrowed a few yards ahead.

“It shouldn’t be much further,” Selina reminded them, already walking forward.  “Let’s see where this goes!”

At one point they had to army crawl.  Jason, Bruce, and Dick had some difficulty sliding along the rough rock passageway so they let Damian go ahead to keep an eye on Selina.   After lots of grunting and pushing, they found themselves at a ledge. Casting their flashlights beyond the edge, they saw a large cavern dotted with stalagmites.  It was too far below to comfortably jump, but the rock wall beneath them was rough enough to offer plenty of handholds. Plus they still had some climbing rope.

“What’s that?” Jason asked, pointing the beam of his light towards a strange lump in the center of the space below.

“Let’s find out!”  Selina was already securing a climbing line to help her on the descent.

“Let me go first,” Bruce offered.

“Don’t want me to get my hands on the goods without your supervision?” Selina accused, eyes flashing.

“No, I’d just prefer being the one to walk into any danger that could be lurking below.”

“Well, when you put it like that, I’ll let you take the lead, hero.”

Damian rolled his eyes as Bruce made his way to the edge, checking the descent path once more before making his way down.  Selina came next, then Damian, Jason, and Dick. Sounds were muffled in the cavern, the roar of the waterfall which had followed them through the tunnel disappearing in the dusty confines of this deeper space.  The air felt heavy with dust and expectation.

The lump Jason had spotted looked just as unremarkable close up.  Covered in cave dust and loam, it was easy to think it was just a misfigured stalagmite, but when Dick gave it a cautious kick, it shifted its shape, dust billowing from it.

“It’s a cloth,” he coughed, waving the dust away from him.

“And look at that,” Selina pointed, “the same keys as the passage.”

Sure enough, the old, brittle fabric had been printed with three black keys.  The realization noticeably raised the anticipation of the cavern. The air suddenly grew thick and warm.  They froze, simultaneously wanting to see what was beneath and fearing what they would--or would not--find.

Suddenly Damian jumped forward and whipped the decaying cloth away.  Beneath was a large square chest, the wooden lid also printed with the three black keys.  The base looked slightly decayed, as though it had sat in the same position for decades, subject to the creatures and moisture that wandered through the deep cave.  The rest of the wood also indicated age, the sealant appearing gummy in their flashlight beams, the hardware rusted. Yet it stood strong and tangible before them, its contents still protected from the elements of time and space.

“Shall we?” Jason grunted, pulling out a metal file and hammer to attack the lock.  The others held their breath against the dust and anticipation. It didn’t take him long to snap the metal and pry open the lid.

“Well would you look at that,” Bruce breathed, reaching in to pull away pieces of old, black velvet and grab the object of their hunt.  The Crown looked slightly dull in their flashlight beams, the metal dark, but a string of carefully set gems ran the circumference. Scenes of the Old Testament were skillfully etched around them.  It was undented, generally uncorrupted, and it was weighty with the power of authority.

“It’s always nice to see the treasure at the end of the journey,” Dick said, eyes sparkling like the gems of the Crown.

“Anything else in that box there?” Selina asked, eager to know whether she, too, would be taking any treasure back.

“Looks like it,” Jason replied, stepping back so she could see in.  Bars of gold, some intricate-looking jewelry, and a few old documents lay beneath the cloth upon which the crown had sat.  There wasn’t much in the way of unique collectibles, but the items could easily bring a decent sum of money if sold.

“Glad to see I, too, shall reap some reward for my efforts,” Selina purred, running her hand over the box’s less prestigious contents.  “Shall we pack this up and get out of here?”

The ancient box would be awkward and unstable to travel with, so they divided the treasure between the five of them, Bruce carefully wrapping the Crown in strips of cloth before slipping it into his bag.  Selina watched them with sharp eyes as they packed so she would know who was taking what. She looked at the treasure with a demure pleasure that was both dangerous and thrilling.

They retraced their path through the cave, buzzing with the excitement of their find.  They gathered their ropes and stakes as they went to eliminate all traces of their visit.  In what felt like no time at all, they reemerged into the dark shade of the Vallombrosa Forest, triumphant.

The success high vanished when they caught sight of Tim, Cass, Steph, and Duke kneeling on the dirt outside the cave, bound and gagged.  Tim had a cut on his forehead that oozed a trail of blood down the side of his head. A dozen individuals dressed in dark clothes and holding an assortment of guns surrounded the entrance, training their weapons on the new arrivals as well as their hostages.

“Shit,” Jason groaned.

“Don’t make any sudden movements,” Selina purred.  She had managed to snake her arm around Damian’s shoulders, a tiny concealable handheld gun pressed to his temple.  He looked livid. Slowly she walked towards her allies, pulling her hostage with her. “I don’t want anyone to get hurt.”

“Care to explain what’s happening?” Bruce asked, voice dangerously quiet.

“Oh Bruce,” she pouted, “I’m really torn up betraying you like this, but you know the only piece of any  _ real _ value is the Crown.  You were never going to walk away from this with it.”

“You were planning on betraying us from the start?”  Only Dick could sound genuinely disappointed.

“It’s business, honey.  Now slowly drop your bags and let my associates here tie you up.  If you pull any funny business, I can’t guarantee the safety of the rest of your team.”

Jason looked ready to murder someone, and Damian was still seething, but they wouldn’t risk the well-being of their teammates.  They could only cooperate and watch as Selina took their loot.

“Babs?” Dick breathed, realizing he hadn’t heard from anyone over the comms in a while.

“Don’t worry,” Selina smirked.  “Everyone is fine. We’ve just scrambled the signals and remotely activated a virus in your tech.  It’ll take them a while to find you, but no lasting damage will be done.”

“You obviously have enough resources at your disposal,” Bruce grumbled as his arms were tied tightly behind him.  “Why work with us if you were going to discard us from the beginning?”

“Oh Bruce.”  She sighed, her eyes softening sadly.  She stepped up to him, Damian now securely tied and kneeling next to Cass.  In a gesture of apparently genuine affection, she raised a hand to cup his cheek.  “Can’t you guess?” Her dark eyes searched his, the slightest tinge of desperation in them, hoping to find a hint of the emotions they had shared the past weeks, but his features were as frozen as a mask.

She sighed, disappointed, as he, Dick, and Jason were led to the others and forced to kneel beside them.  Sliding Bruce’s bag onto her back, she cast a last disappointed glance at them before following her allies into the surrounding shadows.

“I hope we see each other again soon,” she called softly before she disappeared.

They sat in silence for a while, trying to catch a sound of their rivals’ retreat, their sight limited to the narrow beams cast by their flashlights lying in the grass.  They heard nothing.

“Well fuck that,” Jason growled.

“Language,” Dick quipped reflexively.

“Is everyone okay?” Bruce asked, glancing at the rest of his team.  He wondered when they had been jumped and why he hadn’t thought the quiet comms were suspicious.  He had been too caught up in the excitement of the hunt, had let Selina sneak into his mind, had let down his team.

Stephanie’s reply was muffled by her gag, but everyone nodded that they were fine.  Tim’s cut looked more annoying than life-threatening. At least no major harm had come to them.  He knew they understood that danger was a hazard of this line of work, but rarely were they threatened with weapons.  Duke was looking a little shaken. And seeing his children in that situation, knowing he had a hand in putting them there, was more frightening than free-climbing over that underground waterfall.

“Hey Jay, can you reach into my boot?” Dick asked, stretching a leg towards his brother.  “I should have a small file in there somewhere.”

“Why the hell do you keep a file in your boot?” he grumbled, shifting so his bound hands could search the shoe.

Dick just shrugged.  “It comes in handy once in a while, such as now.”

Jason just grunted, taking a moment to locate the file and pull it out.  He wasted no time in using it to shave through the rope around his wrists, then passed it back to its owner and moved to free Duke.

“Thanks man,” he mumbled once the gag was removed before babbling.  “Bruce, I’m so sorry! They came out of nowhere. I tried to get away but they broke the door lock and got to me before I could shift gears.  I’m pretty sure they took the van...”

“Duke,” he said firmly but softly, cutting through the worried rambling.  “It wasn’t your fault. It wasn’t anyone’s fault but mine. I invited Selina into this hunt, and you were threatened because of that bad call.”  His eyes roved over his team. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay Bruce,” Tim murmured, rubbing his wrists to help regain circulation.  “We don’t always get the gold, right? But at least there’s always the next hunt.”

They all looked tired, disappointed, and a little shaken.  Jason and Damian in particular were angry at how things had turned out.  But they were resilient and already thinking towards the next job, no doubt hoping to go toe-to-toe with Selina again to get back at her for this betrayal.  It always surprised him when he saw this cohesiveness in his team, how content they were to have weathered their challenges together and come out relatively unscathed.  They took the disappointments in stride, keeping their eyes set on the next hunt.

They were undoubtedly the best treasure he had found yet.

**Author's Note:**

> So this is obviously very late for Batfam Week 2018. I really struggled with trying to work in an AU since I'm much more comfortable working in canon (or quasi-canon as comic books go). I'm not sure I'm still motivated to finish the Batfam Week prompts, so this might be the last in the series for this year.


End file.
